Leonardo DiCaprio arrives at the world premiere of 'The Great Gatsby' in New York Wednesday. / Don Emmert, AFP/Getty Images

by Donna Freydkin, USA TODAY

by Donna Freydkin, USA TODAY

Jay Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald's mythical self-made millionaire, did nothing halfway, from the sensational parties he threw to the natty attire he wore. And the same goes for the film version of his classic novel, directed by Baz Luhrmann and in theaters on May 10.

The film has been, and continues to be, feted at numerous parties prior to its release, including the opulent window installations at the Fifth Avenue Tiffany store and a luncheon being held at the New York Public Library on Thursday. But Wednesday night, the stars of the movie and its director converged on Lincoln Center to celebrate the 3-D spectacle they created.

The red carpet featured appearances by Leonardo DiCaprio, who plays Gatsby, Tobey Maguire, who stars as his neighbor, Nick Carraway, Carey Mulligan, who glows as Gatsby's great and doomed love Daisy Buchanan, and Joel Edgerton, who preens as Daisy's obtuse philandering husband Tom. Executive producer Jay-Z walked by, grinning but not doing any press.

Mulligan was scarlet and sexy in Lanvin, and she was stunned as she took in the scene, which included throngs of women chanting DiCaprio's name. "I got out of the car and was like, 'We're going to the wrong place.' But it's perfectly Gatsby, isn't it? We're here wearing our diamonds and we have to give them back at the end of the night, so we might as well have a good time," she says.

DiCaprio called the film "an incredibly exciting undertaking. Baz is always vigilant about the material he takes on."

He was polished and well-spoken, but didn't take any Gatsbyisms home with him. "I didn't say 'old sport' when I went home, no, but I said it enough on set to the point where I could never say it again," he says.

As for Maguire, he was accompanied by his spouse, Jennifer Meyer Maguire. Their household is big on reading. "The kids like different things. One of the kids books I love is The Giving Tree. It always gets me," he says.

For Fisher, who has two daughters at home, it was "mommy night out. The most daunting part of doing this movie? You don't want to get fired. You have to stay as true to the story as you can."

Florence Welch is featured on the soundtrack. She was in Miu Miu and is in town for Monday's Met Ball. "Do you ever get used to this? Some people just swan on," she says.